Dawn (ON HIATUS)
by Mirelle Light
Summary: Nineteen-year-old Kyrie has social anxiety, and a crippling fear of Pokemon battles. But when she meets the young boy Nicholas Walker, her life begins to take a turn... With Team Rocket lurking nearby and a terrifying plan unfolding, she is faced with more than she ever expected. A story of a girl and a boy who battle their weaknesses and fight to overcome their odds.
1. Chapter 1 - The World Outside

**Author's Note:** Hello! I am excited to finally be writing a Pokemon story.

For this story, it will differ from the Pokemon games in that Pokemon can know more than four moves. The reason for this is because, I feel like the Pokemon games _have_ to have some kind of restriction on them in order to keep them a challenge. But in the real world (as if Pokemon is the real world... hah), I feel like Pokemon would be able to know each move they've learned, like how the anime seems to imply.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Period.

Chapter One

The World Outside

The long drive to what I'm sure will be a nightmare is uncomfortably quiet. The car rumbles softly and the radio is turned down, while the heater hums in the background, giving warmth to my chilled toes. In the driver's seat, my mother watches the road with a straight, unchanging gaze. She hasn't said much the entire way. Probably because she can sense my fear—knowing that even a single wrong word could cause the churning in my stomach to bubble up and eventually out of me.

Like her, I watch the road. But my mind is somewhere else. Cars drive by, and the scenery changes, but I don't notice much of it. I'm too focused on what I will do when I'm finally in the classroom—or on campus, for that matter. My thoughts are racing, filled with situations I can't control—filled with the fear of the unknown.

It isn't until we've pulled up to the Viridian university that I snap back into the present. My mouth feels suddenly dry as I realize that I'm going to have to leave her familiar side to wander the halls among people I don't know. I grab my backpack from behind the seat and put a shaky hand on the door lever.

My mother puts a hand on my shoulder. "You'll be alright, sweetie. Just remember to be yourself. I'm sure they'll like you."

I nod. It doesn't do much to resolve my outward shaking, but I feel slight comfort at her words.

"I love you. I hope you have a fantastic day." She smiles, though with hesitancy. We've been through this before, with less than adequate results. "You'll be fine. Remember, your Pokemon are always with you."

"Thanks. I love you too. ...And I'll remember."

I peer through the window, watching as students walk up to the nearby mathematics building. They seem carefree and in good spirits, many of them talking and laughing. It's in stark contrast to me, who will probably be eaten up like a Mareep among Mightyena.

I suck in a breath and finally open the door. The chill hits me hard, but it's nothing compared to the fear I feel. I wave goodbye to my mother, shut the door, and pull out my class schedule. As I read it, warm fog continues to shoot up my legs from behind me, letting me know that my mother is still behind me, in the car—probably concerned. I turn around and wave goodbye again before crumpling the sheet and heading to my class.

When I get inside the building, the hallway is crowded and busy. Students pass by me wearing backpacks or rolling laptop cases. It's noisy also. I lower my gaze to the floor and tighten my grip on my backpack handles. I make my way to my first class, taking quick steps, trying my best not to bump into anyone or attract attention. As I pass by the maze of unfamiliar faces, I can feel the churning from earlier making my stomach toss and turn. Only a little more to go, I tell myself. Along with my own voice of help, I remember my mother's words and her daily affirmations. It's the only way I am able to make it to the classroom without losing my breakfast.

I arrive at the classroom five minutes early. I feel relieved that I have a chance to enter before everyone has arrived and taken their seats—their gazes won't be on me. At least, that's what I hope for.

The classroom is nearly silent when I enter. A part of me had been hoping that some of the students would be chatting with each other, so their attention wouldn't be focused on me. I try to ignore their gazes and walk to an open seat, my mind in a hundred places at once. My lack of focus, however, ends up to my detriment as I walk straight into a nearby desk, almost toppling over.

Someone snorts loudly, and snickers soon follow. I pull back from the seat in embarrassment and continue to the desk by the window, one of the few open seats. After I slide the backpack off my shoulders, I sit and rest my head on my elbow, trying to hide the flush on my face.

 _What a great first impression..._ I think, closing my eyes for a brief moment before leaning over to pull out my notebook. I can feel a few amused gazes on me still, but I try to ignore it.

And so begins my life here at uni.

* * *

Lunch is a single slice of pizza and a bottle of cold iced tea. It's hard getting it down, but I force myself to eat. My mother told me many times that not eating can make you throw up. And, as I've learned over the years, about that and many other things, she is usually right,

As I eat, people sitting at the other tables talk and laugh. Some of them study, reading through textbooks or mouse-scrolling on laptops. But all of them look at peace. I look down at the remains of my single slice of pizza, feeling downtrodden. It looks suddenly more greasy than before. My stomach rumbles a warning, and I manage to swallow one more bite before pushing the now unappetizing plate of food a good distance away. Well, at least I got a few bites in.

I sit for a few minutes more to let my stomach settle. Then, I grab my plate of food and start to inch out of my seat. However, a sudden voice behind me freezes me to a halt.

"Hey!"

I turn my head just in time as a guy approaches. He has dark brown hair, and his eyes are a cobalt blue. He smiles, then nonchalantly walks across from me to the other side of the table. I don't understand it, but I have an odd feeling in the back of my mind that something isn't right about him.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asks.

I shake my head, smiling the best I can. "No. Go ahead." But inwardly I can feel myself panic. He sets down his plate of mini cheeseburgers and french fries. I slide myself back fully into my seat, pretending I wasn't just about to get up and rush off to the ladies room.

"I'm Trev," he says. "I'm in your College Algebra class. Saw you sitting by yourself so, I just thought I'd give you some company."

I nod, then pick up my pizza slice and take a small bite. He eats as well, and for a little while it's quiet. I start to get nervous since I'm not sure what to say. But suddenly, the silence is interrupted when he starts laughing.

"Sorry. I was remembering your entrance."

My eyes widen. The image of me nearly flopping over the desk on my way into the classroom hits me. Very strongly. I can't help the sudden laugh that makes its way out of me. My anxiety disappears as though someone has waved it away. He grins.

"I'm so embarrassed I did that..."

"It's okay. I figured you were just nervous or something."

I nod, though I'm surprised inside. Is there a possibility that the other people in class thought the same thing? Maybe I had been getting flustered over nothing then.

"What's your name?"

"Kyrie."

"Kyrie?" He holds out a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Kyrie."

"Nice to meet you too," I return, shaking his hand.

It's quiet for a moment as he takes another bite of a mini cheeseburger. Then he turns back to me, but his mind seems to be in the clouds. "What's your favorite Pokemon, Kyrie?"

I lower my eyes. "I...don't have one."

His eyes widen. "You don't? But, everyone has a favorite."

"Definitely not me." Before I've realized it, my lips have pressed together tightly. I can feel a bitterness rising in me. "Though I have a least favorite type."

"A least favorite? But no favorite?"

I nod. "I don't like fire types."

"Why not?"

"They're just..." I hesitate. It feels like a past that I'd finally managed to forget is coming back to mind again. "It's nothing. I don't really want to talk about it."

He watches me for a while, curiously. But after a while he turns back to his food, eating. "I understand. You don't have to tell me."

A silence passes between us. I stop attempting to eat my pizza, feeling a slight sickness in my stomach. He continues to eat, but seems to notice my discomfort. He sets down his burger and grabs a Pokeball from his belt, enlarging it as he holds it out over the table.

"Let's have a battle," he says, smiling.

I pause, and my entire face probably turns white. "H...Huh?"

"Battles always make me feel really good." He pauses. "Or are you not a trainer?"

"I...I'm a trainer but..."

"You don't like battling?"

"Not exactly..." I pause. "It's just not fun for me."

He stares at me for a while as though I'd just said I'm a monster. Then, he slowly nods.

"So you're a trainer but...you don't like battling? Not to be rude but...isn't being a trainer all about battling?"

"It's not that I don't want to battle. It's just, not fun when I try to." I can feel his confusion becoming more and more apparent, so I try to clarify. "I kind of have an issue with...getting anxious or whatever during battles. And I don't know how to control my Pokemon well. But, I really want to get better eventually. I just don't know if I'm ready right now..."

"Well isn't now a better time than ever? If you're going to try eventually, any time you start you'll feel the same way. So why not start now?" He smiles.

I look away, feeling pressured.

"Come on."

He stands up, leaving his plate on the table, and comes around to my side, putting a hand on my arm playfully. I hesitate to stand at first, but the smile on his face makes me feel guilty, so I slowly rise to my feet. I leave my plate on the table as well, grab my schoolbag, and follow after him as he leads me towards the edge of the cafeteria.

As we walk, an alarm in me goes off. My heartbeat is suddenly faster, and a sinking feeling grows in my stomach. I'm not sure where it comes from, but it scares me. And then the thought hits: Are we even allowed to have battles on school grounds...? I pull back from him and stop in place. He notices my lack of presence and turns around.

"Something wrong?"

"It's...nothing. I just... I realized my next class starts in ten minutes," I lie. "Sorry. I have to go now."

"Oh..." His voice is filled with more frustration than I expect. "Well...alright."

"See you,"

I quickly turn away and head back to the table. I can feel his eyes on me still, but I don't turn around.

"Maybe we can battle some other time, then?" he calls suddenly.

I stop in place and nod without turning around. Then I quickly continue walking.

When I've reached the table, I turn around to see if he's still there. Thankfully he isn't. I breathe a sigh of relief and pick up my plate. My heart is still racing.

 _What in the world was that...?_ I think. _I don't know what came over me all of a sudden..._

The feeling isn't there anymore, so I start to wonder if maybe I was just imagining it.

I start to turn around so I can walk towards the trash can. But as I do so, I accidentally bump into someone coming my direction. My plate of food nearly falls to the floor, but I grab it before it can fall on the person's shoes. I immediately apologize, but the person, who I notice now is a boy, just stares at the ground, something in his face that I don't understand.

"Watch out for that guy Trevor..." he mumbles.

I blink. "...Trevor?"

"The guy you just met. Just...watch out for him."

I watch as the boy lowers his head even more, as if hiding his face. He's wearing a tan hat with what looks to be Meowth ears, and his hair is a light, sandy brown. I now notice he looks to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, several years younger than I am. He's certainly shorter.

"Oh... Watch out for him?" I ask, rather stupidly.

He nods, then quickly shuffles past me, still looking down. I watch as he walks away and disappears around the corner at the edge of the cafeteria. I stay where I am for a moment longer before finally taking my plate to the trash.

 _I wonder who that boy was._

* * *

The house is dark when I arrive home in the evening. I close the front door behind me after flipping on the light switch, watching as the pitch black hallway becomes visible. I slide my backpack off my shoulders and carry it into the living room. Then I collapse on the couch. The TV is still on. Probably because my mother and I had rushed out that morning.

 _It's been a long day..._ I think, closing my eyes and trying not to let the soft pillow behind my head send me to sleep. I think about the events that happened, absentmindedly listening to the news reporter speak.

 _ **'...the events of yesterday, Ash Ketchum informed Kira News that he will not be accepting new challengers until the case is resolved. In further news..."**_

I shake my head. I had seen the reports yesterday. Apparently someone charged the Champion with cheating in his match, after they lost 6-0.

"What a horrible world."

I start to reach for the remote. I don't like listening to sad or negative news reports. But before my hand touches it, something catches my ear.

" _ **...disappearances around Viridian City. Witnesses say they saw a man dressed in what looked to be a Team Rocket uniform around the Viridian Pokemon Center area. However, no additional information has been found at this time."**_

My eyes widen. Usually you hear of these types of reports in places other than your hometown.

"I had better be careful then..." I mumble.

" _ **In other news..."**_

I sigh and lean further back into the couch. Beneath my shirt, my Pokeballs dig into my waist. I reach for a Pokeball and enlarge it, twirling it in my hand.

 _Maybe that guy was right. Maybe I should learn how to battle now, rather than waiting. It would sure help me to be safe..._ I bite my lip. _Maybe._

The events of the day flash through my mind again. I think about my nervousness, and the classroom, and that strange, almost withdrawn-looking boy, with the Meowth hat. I have a feeling, based on my anxious experience with Trevor, that the boy was telling the truth about him. I shake my head to myself and close my eyes again.

 _hat a horrible world._

Before I know it, the news reporter's voice has faded into background noise. The warmth of my jacket and the softness of the couch lulls me, and I drift into sleep.

* * *

I hope you liked the first chapter. This was more of an introduction to the characters. The story will be picking up in the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2 - Colliding Fears

**Author's Note:** Thank you for your reviews! They really gave me inspiration and joy! I apologize for the delay in getting this out. Life was dragging me through all sorts of things. I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Two

Colliding Fears

The car ride to school on the second day isn't as bad as before. I lean my seat back and listen to my music player while my mother occasionally adjusts the knob for the radio. The nervousness is still here, but I feel slight relief knowing that I've met two people in the school already, and they don't seem to find me strange. Probably.

 _Though, after how I left Trevor yesterday, that might not actually be the case..._ I think to myself.

We pull up to the school like before and wave our goodbyes. And soon, I'm left all alone.

* * *

The room for Art class is different than the rooms I went inside yesterday. The walls are still a painted white, but there are ten longer-than-usual tables laid out parallel to each other, two in a row, with chairs on only one side of each. I enter the room and pause to look up for a brief moment before finding an empty spot near the front of the class. I take my seat and breathe an inward sigh of relief that I didn't do anything worthy of laughter this time.

I slide my backpack off and shove it beneath the table. Some students at the back of the classroom are talking quietly, but for the most part no one is speaking. I noticed it was this way yesterday at my classes. It's different than what usually happened when I was back in middle and high school; students would always be talking or laughing, not caring what things came out of their mouths. But in this new, more education-caring environment, it feels nicer—more forgiving.

A few minutes pass. I tap my fingers against my leg. I realize I haven't looked up at anyone at my table yet. I feel somewhat rude for not at least introducing myself, or even speaking for that matter, but I'm not sure how to do it. It's at this point that I look up. But as my eyes shift upward to the person at the end of the table, they are drawn past the person to the table across the room, where a familiar young boy is sitting.

 _Is that...?_

He doesn't have the Meowth hat on, but it's definitely, without a doubt, the boy from yesterday. His hair is a light, sandy brown, and even from the slight distance I notice he has the same facial features. He's sitting with an almost blank expression, with his chin in his elbow, staring ahead. I'm not sure if it's because he's sleepy, or sad, or just bored and nonchalant.

I watch him for a while longer before turning back around. I decide to ask him my question when class is over.

* * *

His name is Nicholas—Nicholas Walker.

It's something I learned when the teacher took attendance. I mark it down in my mind and keep it locked away for later.

Class ends after the usual sounds of people stuffing their books away into school bags. Since there's no visible clock in the room, I wonder if people are psychic or if they're just glancing down at their phones every couple of seconds. I put my books away and slide my backpack onto my shoulders. I look over at the table where the boy, Nicholas, is. He is already standing, with his hat now on, and soon makes his way over to where the door is, before anyone else. I follow behind him, out of the room, and quickly try to find the right words to phrase my question. It's hard to think since he is moving so fast.

"Erm..."

He turns around at my voice. But when he sees who I am, he quickly lowers his head. I'm suddenly more uncomfortable than ever.

"I wanted to ask you something..." I manage to fumble. He continues staring at the floor with an unchanging expression, so I quickly blurt it out. "About the guy yesterday... When you said watch out...what exactly should I watch out for? I mean..." But I hold in the last part. I don't want to tell him about the overwhelming, uncomfortable feeling I had when around Trevor. It might make me seem odd.

He stares at the floor for a moment longer. Then, raises his head to look at me. It's at this point I realize just how vivid his eyes are. They're blue, but almost a deep, sea-floor ocean blue. There's still that "something" in his face that I can't quite make out. It looks like sadness, but it's almost crossing the line into uncaring. I feel a slight chill make its way up my back just looking at him.

"I'm sorry," he finally says. Then turns and starts walking away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I blink at his words. "But..."

He doesn't turn back around, just walks quickly away. I watch until his figure disappears into the crowd.

I feel very confused. I just stand there dumbly for a moment longer before turning and heading in the opposite direction, for my next class. Inwardly, I am conflicted.

 _That was odd._

* * *

Lunch time comes around, but just like the day before, I don't feel hungry. Part of me wants to go to the cafeteria anyways, but a nagging fear of running into Trevor again makes me think twice. I decide to head outside since it's a nice, warm day. Even though I will surely be meeting Trevor tomorrow in my College Algebra class, I feel like the longer I have to wait, the better. I still don't know why I have such an odd feeling about him, or why I believe the boy Nicholas so easily about him, but I feel like it's better to play it safe. And if it turns out otherwise, I can always befriend Trevor anyways—apologetically, of course.

When I get outside, I sit on the low brick wall that surrounds a small flower garden near the entrance to the Art building. I lean back with my hands on either side of me and stare up into the sky, where there are puffy white clouds. The breeze is warm and tousles my hair. It feels great.

 _It would be even better if there weren't any people around,_ I think, hearing as students pass by. Suddenly I'm embarrassed at how I look, and I quickly sit up again. _Stupid._

When my thoughts come back down to earth again, I notice there's a young girl sitting on the opposite side of the entrance, across from me, on a similar brick garden wall. She's petting her Vulpix and glancing every so often at the double doors to the Art building. Her blonde hair has been put up into a long ponytail. She looks to be about eight or nine.

When she sees me looking over at her, her mouth tightens into a pout and she narrows her eyebrows. "What are you looking at?"

I shake my head. "Oh, nothing."

"You know, when two trainers look at each other, they have to battle."

I flinch at her words. "Oh, erm... That's not actually a rule... It's something trainers made up—"

She stares at me for a moment before sliding off the brick wall. Her Vulpix leaps down and takes a stance by her feet. "If you're going to stare at someone, be prepared to back it up in a match."

"Vuuuulpix!"

I hesitate, a little surprised at her vocabulary. "Erm...I'm sorry. But...I wasn't—"

"Or are you a chicken?" She grins.

I quickly try to think of a way out of the situation. But thankfully I don't have to.

"Clarissa, what are you doing?"

The young girl turns her head at the voice, and her expression brightens. I turn to look as well.

A boy wearing a Meowth hat approaches us, who I quickly realize is Nicholas, to my surprise. He has the same blank expression on his face as all the other times I've seen him. I suddenly feel uncomfortable, especially after the brief meeting we'd had before.

He starts to say something to the girl, but when he sees me, he freezes in place. His head drops to look at the ground, and to my surprise he grabs the girl's hand and quickly starts to walk away, pulling her behind him.

"Sorry. We have to go," he mumbles.

I watch as they disappear around the corner, their figures hidden by a bush. I just stand there, dumb-founded, until their footsteps fade into the distance. Inwardly, my conflict is growing.

 _...What? ...What was that...?_

* * *

He avoided me two times. It definitely hadn't been a coincidence.

As I lay back on my bed after the long day, I ponder it, along with other things. Probably too much for my own good. Then again, with the way I am, it's hard not to feel self-conscious about uncomfortable situations. It would be more understandable if the boy were like that to everyone, but he had clearly not avoided the other person, Clarissa, in the same way. Did I accidentally do something to him without realizing it?

I turn on my side and stare ahead at my bedside desk. My father's face stares back at me from the framed picture, where he is grinning through scientific-looking glasses. An image of him flashes across my mind, and I close my eyes, remembering the familiar yet calm words he would tell me as a child.

" _Let it go."_

"Let it go," I repeat to myself. I sigh and roll over again, this time turning to face the window against the wall. "Just let it go. Stop being a worry-wort about everything."

As usual, his words seem to help some.

I sit up and turn on the cartoon channel before trudging my way to my desk to study. I open my backpack and pull out my papers. My class schedule falls out of one of my binders. I pick it up off the floor, my eyes focusing on the schedule for Friday.

"Pokemon Education I..." I murmur, throwing the paper back into the binder. Just thinking about it makes me afraid. As I was told by Professor Oak, Pokemon Education is the very first class in a series of classes intended to train college-level students about Pokemon habitat, personality, speech patterns, life, and even...battling. For those trainers who decide not to go to school at all, but are home-schooled the basics of language and math—like the famous Ash Ketchum—they simply experience Pokemon through real life immersion. But for those people who want to become trainers and are willing to pay money to get more in-depth education about the world and Pokemon—people like me—the Pokemon Education class is the very first step. Despite there being many levels of being taught Pokemon in a school environment, from elementary school to high school gym and outdoor classes that help familiarize students with Pokemon, "Pokemon Education" is the only complete package.

As my mind ponders it, I begin to feel discouraged. I wouldn't have a problem with it if there weren't battles in the class. I would probably very much enjoy it. But the idea of trying to command a Pokemon to obey when I don't have very strong immediate-action critical thinking skills—or in other words, I stink at thinking under pressure—is very intimidating.

Only two more days until I have to face my fears. And in front of a class, at that. Though, I know I have to face my fears eventually anyways but...prolonging it always feels so much safer.

Out of instinct, I run my fingers over the three Pokeballs on my belt. According to the Professor, I will have to choose a starter Pokemon in the first Pokemon Education class as well. Like many people in the college, I'm not considered the official "owner" of any Pokemon I have. Not until I receive my starter—and even then, only Pokemon caught after that are considered officially "my own." So gift Pokemon can't be used in college classes; they can only be used in off-campus battles and for protection. It stinks horribly. Especially when my father entrusted me with his prized Pokemon before he...

I quickly try to think about something else. It's been five years, but the pain is still there.

 _In any case... I'll be getting a new Pokemon. So, I'd better suck it up and make sure I know which one I'm choosing._

* * *

The next day seems to come quickly. After saying my goodbyes to my mother, I head into the Mathematics building with a lump in my throat. I walk to class slowly at first, unsure about what will happen, but then speed up once I realize I will probably be late at the pace I'm going. When I reach the classroom, I start to peer around the corner into the room. However, I catch myself. My logical thoughts tell me it will probably be more embarrassing for me to be caught nosing around right now than Monday's desk-walking incident.

I take a deep breath and, after closing my eyes for a brief moment, do my best "casual" walk into the room. My eyes automatically scan the room for laughing faces as I head to my seat. But to my surprise, no one is snickering when they see me. Some of them are smiling, but it doesn't look cruel at all, to my surprise.

I take my seat, feeling relieved. As I pull my things out of my backpack, I hear a familiar voice somewhere behind me, to my right.

"Hey, Kyrie!"

I turn around. Trevor waves at me from his seat, grinning. I smile back.

"Hello," I manage to mumble.

"Still feeling nervous?" he asks, to my surprise, in front of everyone.

I lower my eyes but continue smiling. "Just a little bit."

"Don't worry. I already told them about how you were probably just nervous yesterday."

I freeze. He...told them?

I'm afraid at first, but as I look around at my classmates, who are now all staring at me and him, but with kinder faces towards me, I feel my relief grow stronger. I turn back to look at Trevor, who is still grinning. I suddenly feel a little bit guilty for my bad feelings towards him.

"Oh... Thank you."

"It was nothing. I mean, I knew you'd be scared to come in today so I wanted to lighten your load a little."

I nod. "I feel better already." It's mixed with guilt, but I keep smiling.

"Yeah, don't worry about us," someone says, a girl who looks to be around my age. "We're all classmates so we should help each other."

"Laaaaame," someone else, a guy, says, drawing out his voice. "That's so lame."

"Whatever." The girl laughs.

"Don't listen to him. He's mentally challenged," someone else chimes in.

After a few more thrown remarks, the classroom erupts into chatter and laughter. I watch everyone in amazement, and suddenly I feel pretty happy.

 _Everything...turned out alright._

I smile inwardly, but I can't help my mouth forming a grin outwardly. From my side vision, Trevor seems to be watching me curiously, almost analyzing. I look over at him, still smiling.

For the briefest moment, I see something in his face that looks like discomfort. Like he's troubled about something. But it's gone before I know it.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't want to spoil anything but, Pokemon involvement will officially shoot upwards starting with the next chapter. I know there was Vulpix in this chapter, but...it wasn't much of a large scene. :P I will also be doing my best to make chapters more lengthy.


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